Marthe Armitage: Pattern Maker

We recently visited Pitzhanger Manor in Ealing, West London, to discover more about the exhibition Marthe Armitage: Pattern Maker. 

The child of Dutch parents, Marthe is renowned for her hand-drawn, hand-printed patterns created in her Chiswick studio. Now aged 95, she is one of Britain’s most beloved designers and is celebrated for the intricate and imaginative detail that still imbues her work, and the expert craftmanship of her practice.

This exhibition explores Armitage’s distinctive approach to pattern making in wallpaper and fabric design. As the title suggests, Pattern Maker traces Armitage’s artistic process — from initial sketches, tracings and lino blocks to finished wallpapers and textiles — revealing the journey behind each work.

Examples of Angelica carved lino blocks and print 

Her designs are rooted in the landscapes, riverbanks, and architectural details of her local Chiswick surroundings — where she and her family have lived since 1939 — and translate the familiar, such as a chestnut tree or an angelica plant into the fantastical, transforming everyday scenes into immersive decorative worlds.

Examples of Chestnut carved lino blocks and print 

This focused exhibition brings together original drawings and tracings, prints, archival material, and large-scale installed wallpapers and fabric, offering an intimate insight into the life and work of an artist whose designs have quietly shaped British interiors for more than half a century. At Pitzhanger, Armitage’s celebration of craft and place finds an appropriate, resonant setting, echoing Sir John Soane’s own passion for pattern, narrative, and the handmade.

The exhibition is on 19th March to 19th July 2026. The entry ticket also includes the rest of Pitzhanger Manor, the home of architect Sir John Soane.